1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to vascular access assemblies, and more particularly to vascular access assemblies including a safety device for protecting a clinician from accidental needle stick injuries.
2. Background
Vascular access assemblies are utilized in a variety of medical applications for supplying or withdrawing fluid to or from a body vessel. Generally, vascular access assemblies include an external cannula for indwelling in a blood vessel of a patient and an internal needle that is inserted into the external cannula to facilitate piercing of the blood vessel of the patient. In operation of the access assembly, the internal needle is inserted into the external cannula such that the tip portion of the internal needle protrudes from a tip portion of the external cannula. Next, the internal needle is manipulated to pierce a blood vessel and to position the external cannula within the blood vessel. While the external cannula is positioned within in the blood vessel, the internal needle is withdrawn from the external cannula leaving the external cannula positioned within the blood vessel. In this position, a medical device can be connected to the rear end portion of the external cannula using, for example, a luer connector, to facilitate the supply and withdrawal of fluid, such as blood, medication and/or nutrients to or from the body vessel.
After the internal needle is withdrawn from the external cannula, the exposed needle tip of the internal needle creates a danger of accidental needle stick injury which can leave a clinician vulnerable to the transmission of various blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV and hepatitis. While needle tip protectors have been developed to protect the clinician from needle stick injuries, the cost, ease of use, and effectiveness of these needle tip protectors leaves room for improvement.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a vascular access assembly which is easily activated by a clinician, effectively protects a clinician from accidental needle stick injury and is economical to produce.